Journal of Invasive Cardiology

FC: Right. In 30–60 minutes you can get a good workout.
LG: You run for 60 minutes?
FC: I used to run for an hour or longer, doing 8-minute miles. My current routine is a little less demanding, but I continue to exercise pretty hard several times per week, and virtually every day while traveling. I feel fortunate these old joints and legs of mine can still take the abuse quite well.
LG: Do you remember the last time you were sick with the flu, or something like that?
FC: I never get sick. That is another way I am very fortunate. I get colds occasionally. Several years ago, I used to get colds all the time. I don’t know if it is because I take vitamins or what, which I do.
LG: What do you take?
FC: Multivitamins. I don’t know if this is the reason, but I only get colds once or twice a year. I certainly never “call in sick.” I would have to be really ill to not show up or deliver on a commitment; my only option would be to “call in dead.” The last time I didn’t show up for work was one day 12 years ago when I had a 104° fever. I suspect that after all these years of absolute health, one day, I’m just going to get really sick and that will be t! Hopefully, it won’t happen any time soon…
LG: What is the biggest problem or challenge that you face in your career or in your practice?
FC: The biggest problem I have is perhaps the issue of balance in my life in general. This relates to the multitude of activities and commitments — almost too many to mention! Balance is indeed a valid but elusive concept for me: too many balls in the air, all at once! Some may wonder, “why not just go back to being a surgeon, and take good care of your patients: isn’t that enough?” Well, it is not enough for me at this point in my life; I would not be happy. I have to do more, and be different. I am what I am; it has been a natural evolution, not really a conscious choice. And for the most part, I like it this way! The problem is that while offering enormous opportunities in terms of rewards and satisfaction, being so busy can generate an almost equally large number of potential mishaps and unhappy occurrences. But that’s the way life works!
LG: What else?
FC: The second biggest challenge it seems for me, and for many others, is economic. So many of these things that we do are non-revenue producing activities. So we have to keep an eye on that, because we cannot be using 80% of our time on efforts that do not bring any income. Somehow all of that machinery needs to be supported. Therefore, it is very important to keep that in mind.
LG: What about the balance of work and family?
FC: I have found it impossible to keep or even approximate any kind of balance in my life. You just can’t do all this and be a perfect family man at the same time; I certainly can’t, and that’s unfortunate and regrettable. I think about it often, and it continues to bother me a great deal. It is almost surely the single worst implication of such a busy career. A “sacrifice” if you will. I can only hope my family and the children in particular will one day understand what it takes to do what I do, and perhaps appreciate its significance, and how it can impact the lives of many.
LG: Did your wife know what she was getting into?